The Law Office of Maxx Padilla PLLC

Family Law

Divorce, parenting plans and timesharing, child support, alimony, and modifications of existing judgments. Most people who call have been thinking about it for a long time and have told almost no one. The first conversation is about what is actually happening, not about paperwork.

Probate and Estates

Formal and summary administration, and guidance for personal representatives handed a role nobody explains. Probate arrives at the worst possible time, with accounts nobody can access and paperwork nobody has heard of. Florida requires counsel for most administrations, so the question is not whether to hire someone but who.

Civil Litigation and Collections

County civil, small claims, contract disputes, unpaid invoices, and collecting on a judgment after you have already won. If you have been served, the clock is already running, and waiting is the expensive mistake. If you are owed money, the practical question is whether the other side can pay, and that is worth answering first.

Criminal Defense

Misdemeanor and felony charges, DUI, violations of probation, and sealing or expunging a record. Being charged is disorienting in a way people do not anticipate. The first job is getting you accurate information about what you are actually facing, and the timing of that call affects what resolution is available.

Personal Injury

Car and motorcycle accidents, slip and fall, dog bites, and uninsured motorist claims. The earliest offer from an insurer is rarely what a claim is worth. Florida's deadline for most negligence claims is now two years, not the four-year figure that still circulates.

Immigration

Family-based petitions, adjustment of status, naturalization, work authorization, waivers, and removal defense. Almost every case starts with the same two questions: which category fits, and whether anything in your history creates an obstacle. An honest conversation at the start prevents a filing that makes things worse.

Bankruptcy

Chapter 7 and Chapter 13, stopping foreclosure and repossession, creditor harassment, and exemption planning. Most people wait too long, often draining a retirement account to postpone something bankruptcy would have handled while that account was still protected. Earlier is almost always better. We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code.